BIOGRAPHY
John Clark Smith was born and grew up in Rochester, New York (USA), one of six children. Before attending university, John was awarded scholarships in music (Eastman School of Music) and Art (Strong Art Gallery). He graduated from Syracuse University, Duke University and St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto (M.A., Ph.D.), which hired him as a lecturer. His graduate academic research focused primarily on the American philosopher Charles Peirce (died 1914), on the ancient Egyptian philosopher Origen (died after 251 C. E), on the transformative powers of art, and, in general, on metaphysics, logic, and political philosophy. Both his Master's thesis (Peirce's Religious Metaphysics) and his doctoral dissertation (The Ancient Wisdom of Origen, on Origen's views of transformation and conversion) were published, as well as the first translation into English from ancient Greek and Latin of a work of Origen.
John has also published several articles in journals, including one that summarized his views on the transformative qualities of art and philosophy in the Journal of Dharma and another that explored the integration of art and vegetarianism in an article in the Vegetarian Times. Beyond his interest in ancient languages, philosophy, religion and the arts, John has received an advanced diploma in piano performance (A.R.C.T.) from the Royal Conservatory of Music, as well as certificates in advanced harmony and music history. John has had positions as Managing Director, Project Manager and Music Director, and has helped to found a student-directed public high school. Beginning in 2016, over thirty-five online and print journals and reviews have published his poetry, plays and short stories. One of these publishers offered to publish a collection of his short stories. It appeared in 2019 with the title Taking Action. These were followed by the novels, Orange Dawn, In Quest of Mystery, The Return of the Galilean, and Elegant Union (a novel serialized by Setu Publications). His lectures at the University of Toronto were published as Art of Transformation and his philosophical work in Philosophical Poems and Essays. The summation of his work in philosophy and music composition is the Entities, published on this website. John has worked in USA, Canada, Britain and China, and has traveled widely in North America, Europe, China, and India. John is the very proud father of three children.